An added bonus to learning a language like Spanish is that you usually end up learning more about your native tongue along the way. This is especially true when it comes to grammar. Often, the easiest way to understand something confusing in another language is to compare it to your mother tongue and note differences.
Spanish indirect object pronouns can be un poquito (a little bit) trickier than other parts of speech in Spanish, but they are definitely surmountable, especially since we’ve broken them down into easy-to-understand concepts. This is the same concept that serves as the basis for how Rosetta Stone works.
Table of Contents
What is an indirect object pronoun?
To grasp the use of Spanish indirect object pronouns, start by understanding pronouns in general, including direct object pronouns, and then move on to indirect object pronouns.
What is a pronoun?
Put simply, a pronoun is a word that substitutes for another noun. Remember that a noun is a person, place, or thing like “Elena,” “Buenos Aires,” or una comida (a meal). Nouns and pronouns can also name concepts like philosophy, beauty, or education. All told, there are nine types of Spanish pronouns.
What is a direct object pronoun?
To distinguish between direct object pronouns and indirect object pronouns, you’ll need to understand Spanish direct object pronouns first. A direct object is any noun in a sentence that receives the action.
Look at this example sentence:
- Elena come la espinaca. = Elena eats spinach.
“Elena” is the subject, and la espinaca (spinach) is the direct object because it’s what Elena is eating (the action). Some people call this the complement.
You can also use a pronoun to substitute for the direct object. If you substitute a direct object pronoun here, the sentence would read:
- Elena la come. = Elena eats it.
Spanish indirect object pronouns
Indirect object pronouns are needed in a sentence when there’s an exchange of a direct object between the subject and an indirect object. This does not have to be an actual object: It could also be an idea, for instance. However, the indirect object will generally be a person or animal. The indirect object is sometimes implied, and we’ll talk more about that soon.
In a sentence with an indirect object pronoun, the basic structural formula is:
- subject + indirect object pronoun + verb + direct object + (indirect object)
Look at this example sentence:
- Elena les da la espinaca a los huéspedes. = Elena gives spinach to the guests.
Here, Elena (the subject) is not directly eating (the verb) the spinach (the direct object); she is giving it to the guests (the indirect object). So, Spanish requires the indirect object pronoun (les in this example) whenever you have an indirect object in a sentence.
Note that the pronoun les cannot be translated into English when the direct object is explicit as it is in this sentence.
What are implied indirect objects?
In the previous example, the indirect object (the guests) was explicit. Yet, sometimes, the indirect object is implied.
If we have already been talking about “the guests,” we could express the idea like this:
- Elena les da la espinaca. = Elena gives them spinach.
In this case, it is absolutely necessary to translate les as “them” because the indirect object is implied, not explicit. When there’s a sentence with an indirect object, the indirect object pronoun is always obligatory, but the indirect object is not because sometimes it’s simply implied.
Spanish indirect object pronouns list
As in many other languages, Spanish uses some of the same pronouns for different grammatical functions. For instance, the direct and indirect object first-person singular pronoun is the same: me.
The distinguishing feature of the indirect object pronouns is in the third person singular and plural.
| Point of view | Spanish | English |
| singular first person | me | me |
| singular second person (informal) |
te | you |
| singular third person (formal) |
le/se | him / her / it / you |
| plural first person | nos | us |
| plural second person (informal) |
os* | you |
| plural third person (formal) |
les | they/you |
*Used primarily in Spain.
Note that the indirect object pronoun always corresponds to the indirect object (the person or pet receiving the object) and not to the direct object (generally the thing being exchanged or given).
List of verbs that usually or always take the indirect object pronoun
In Spanish, there are certain verbs that always or almost always take the indirect object pronoun because they imply the transfer of an object, communication, or gift. The most common Spanish verb that follows this logic is decir (to say, to tell):
- Yo le digo la verdad a la jueza. = I tell the (female) judge the truth.
| Spanish | English |
| comprar | to buy |
| contar | to tell |
| dar | to give |
| decir | to say |
| enviar | to send |
| escribir | to write |
| explicar | to explain |
| mostrar | to show |
| pedir | to ask for, to order (as in food) |
| prestar | to loan |
| regalar | to gift |
| servir | to serve |
| traer | to bring |
Note: The Spanish verb gustar (to like, to be pleasing to) is a special verb—and it has friends. Verbs like gustar always take indirect object pronouns.
How to use indirect object pronouns with different verb tenses
The indirect object pronoun is usually placed before the verb, but there are a few exceptions for different Spanish verb tenses.
Using indirect object pronouns with the imperative
The imperative tense is used for commands, basically telling someone to do something. In this instance, the indirect object is added to the end of the verb:
- Mándale el paquete. = Send him the package.
Using indirect object pronouns with the infinitive
The indirect object pronoun can be placed either before or after the infinitive.
- Le voy a mandar un paquete. = I am going to send you a package. (formal)
- Voy a mandarle un paquete. = I am going to send you a package. (formal)
Using indirect object pronouns with the present participle
The present participle is the “-ing” form of the verb in English or the -ANDO / -IENDO form in Spanish. As with the infinitive, the indirect object pronoun can go before or after the verb.
- Le estoy mandando un paquete. = I am sending you the package.
- Estoy mandándole un paquete. = I am sending you the package.
Note that in the second case, since a syllable is added to the verb, you add a Spanish accent mark over the second syllable.
How to use an indirect object pronoun with a direct object pronoun in third person
Indirect object pronouns can be used with direct object pronouns, as in this example of loaning books to a friend:
- Te los presto. = I loan them to you. (informal)
But the third person is the exception. Spanish learners tend to struggle a bit with this, but you can practice this concept in a Rosetta Stone tutoring session to get real-time feedback from an expert.
If you are using both an indirect object pronoun and a direct object pronoun, the first pronoun changes to se.
- Yo se los presto. = I loan them (the books) to him.
At times, these types of sentences can be ambiguous in Spanish, so you may need to add more clarification. But in English, the meaning is the same:
- Yo se los presto a él. = I loan them (the books) to him.
Key takeaways about Spanish indirect object pronouns
Some Spanish grammar rules can be confusing, but remembering these details will help you confidently use indirect object pronouns in Spanish:
- The indirect object generally refers to a person or pet receiving something from a subject.
- Whenever there is an indirect object in a sentence, whether it’s explicit or implicit, you must have an indirect object pronoun.
- Indirect object pronouns must match the indirect object in number (singular or plural) and point of view (first, second, or third person).
- The indirect object pronouns in Spanish are me, te, le, se, nos, os, and les.
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